The Turnabout Family
by Vanilla Mochi
Summary: In which Phoenix Wright quietly watches his kids grow up and fall in love.


**A/N: Hello, long time no see! Anyways, this is my first AA fanfiction, so please, tell what you think!**

Word Count: 3,128 words

Warnings: Dual Destinies Spoilers and Obvious Pairings

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

It first appears when Trucy, as an innocent yet just as eccentric child, asks him, "Daddy, will you ever find me a new mommy?"

He spits out his grape juice as the innocuous question registers. A new mommy?

His stomach does a backflip or two, just thinking about it. A new mommy means getting married. Getting married comes from dating. Dating means finding a girlfriend and juggling complicated emotions and situations… it doesn't sound appealing at the very least.

Smiling awkwardly and laughing, Phoenix Wright ruffles his daughter's hair.

"Daddy's working on it."

* * *

He's actually heard Larry say the same thing, who, mind him, has still been working on finding a steady girlfriend. Find a girlfriend. Settle down. Start a family.

Well there was Iris, but then there was also the complicated mess with her family that he coincidentally got caught up in. Make no mistake, Phoenix Wright still does like Iris Fey, but the chemistry between them from years ago was long gone.

And contrary to Pearls' insistence, Phoenix never did and never will have a romantic relationship with Maya Fey. It just sounds…weird. Yeah, that's the word, strange. Awkward. Probably because she's been his close friend for too long for platonic to ever become romantic.

And besides, unlike Larry, who just doesn't want to be lonely, Phoenix has never felt lonely throughout his career.

Because ever since Phoenix has come to the agency, he's never been alone. When Mia Fey was ruthlessly murdered, Maya was there. And if Maya wasn't, then there was also Larry and Pearl, and even Edgeworth, though the man would never pass up on a chance to quip on Phoenix.

Even when Phoenix was disbarred, he wasn't alone. Trucy was that little light of hope he still had left.

And then Apollo arrived, albeit reluctantly. But that's expected, considering the rough circumstances they started off on. Little by little though, he came around, making him apart of the group.

Then there's the agency's newest addition, Athena Cykes. Even though she came only half year ago, Phoenix likes to think that she's been here since forever.

His employees are like kids to Phoenix Wright. His kids. Kids that he has watch out for and help grow.

No time to think about love and dating, not when he needs to look out for Trucy Wright, Apollo Justice, and Athena Cykes.

* * *

Phoenix wonders if this year is the year of lovebirds.

Maya has called him to say that she's engaged now. Apparently, her boyfriend of three years proposed to her last night. Marriages in the Fey Clan are usually doomed, but Phoenix knows that Maya will never let that happen. She has already lost too many people in her life.

He's only met her boyfriend-now-fiancée once. He's a good man, Phoenix believes, someone who really cares about Maya and loves her for being herself, instead of for being the head-in-training of the Fey Clan.

Speaking of love, Maya is not the only one with such feelings.

"Daddy, he's here!"

Taking his feet off the desk, Phoenix calmly folds the newspaper, as Trucy opens the office door.

"Klavier!" Trucy squeals, tackling the figure.

The rock star prosecutor chuckles, hugging her back. "Excited, are you, Freulein?"

"Yep. I can't wait!"

It's a sweet scene, Phoenix thinks; still, someone has to get them going. He walks into the hallway and interrupts the couple with an 'Eh-hem'.

They break apart with Klavier cool-headed as ever and Trucy flushing a little. And they leave Phoenix wondering if he was really getting old.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Phoenix says, smiling. Klavier throws his head back in laughter and Trucy, still blushing, giggles. "You wouldn't want to be late for your date."

"Not at all, Daddy."

"Don't worry, Mr. Wright, we'll be going now." Stepping towards Phoenix, Klavier offers a handshake. "A magic show, the amusement park, and then dinner, ja?"

"That's what Trucy told me." Phoenix replies jovially, shaking the hand. "Make sure she comes back in one piece, okay?"

"Of course, Herr Wright. Well now," Klavier turns to Trucy, offering his arm, "shall we, Freulein?"

"Yes; see you later Daddy!"

"Have fun Trucy," Phoenix says, watching his daughter and the prosecutor leave the office and turn at the corner. A smile lingers while he shuts the door.

It's hard to believe Trucy had once been just another fan of the Gavinners. Nowadays, Trucy insists on coming with Apollo or Phoenix or Athena to the courthouse just to see Klavier.

He doesn't know exactly how they started getting together or even when they officially became an 'item', but Klavier is good guy, just like Maya's fiancée, and will treat Trucy right.

That in itself is good enough for Phoenix.

Well, maybe for Phoenix and even Athena, but not (yet) for Apollo. Phoenix never mentioned it to his trainee in a clad of red, and vaguely wonders, as he ambles back to his desk with a cup of grape juice and today's paper, how Apollo will react when he discovers his half-sister is dating Klavier.

* * *

It's that time of year again and as expected, Apollo is acting broody. Instead of participating in whatever antics the cat has dragged in, he chooses to focus on his legal cases, leaving Phoenix to wonder if Apollo has ever heard of the idea of 'taking it easy'.

Technically, this year is better than the first anniversary. If Phoenix recalls correctly, Apollo locked himself in his room, refusing to come out for the next couple of days. Needless to say, that definitely sent the other three inhabitants into frenzy.

Clay Terran's death had never been easy on Phoenix's apprentice. But then again, no one wanted to think much of the events around this time. Metis Cykes' death. Clay Terran's death. Phantom. Like a storm cloud, it lingers over the agency. Even if Athena and Apollo act like nothing has ever happened, Phoenix can tell.

The way Athena's expression turns downcast when no one is looking or the way a broken smile sneaks its way on Apollo as if he is struggling to hold himself together.

They're at the agency, where Maya and Pearl have dropped in as surprise visitors. As Maya has predicted (or so she claims; she is forever the optimist), Wright Anything Agency has won their most recent case. Resulting from this, Maya declares they needed a cake to celebrate. A big one too.

And of course, the cake comes out of Phoenix's wallet. She just has to choose the most expensive one too.

Unsurprisingly, Apollo isn't in the mood for celebrating. Politely, yet with maximum constraint, he refuses the cake he was offered and hangs in the hallway instead. Usually, it would be the agency's only desk, but…well, that's nearby the window, which has a wonderful view of the stars and the night sky.

Phoenix sighed, shaking his head; once Apollo has made up his mind, there is no changing it. Apollo, with eyes averted to the ground, has his fists clenched tightly and his mouth pressed into a thin line.

"Um… Apollo… are you alright?" The voice is soft and Phoenix has to strain his ears to listen from afar. Then, he notices Juniper Woods, a few good inches shorter, appearing in front of Apollo. Fiddling her fingers, she looks flustered.

One worried, embarrassed glance at Apollo tells the legendary lawyer everything. He smiles knowingly.

"…Huh?" Apollo's expression turns from hard to surprised and then back to flat. "Oh, Juniper… yes, I'm fine." He mutters, as if to assure himself more than her. "Thank you."

Juniper nods, though it's quite obvious she thinks otherwise. "Does it…" She starts, treading carefully after a moment of pause, "still bother you?"

"…What?"

"I know this time of year isn't easy for you or Athena…so I," Juniper admits, her voice descending to a whisper. Her shaky fingers clutch to her braids as she tugs on them, finally blurting out, "So I was worried about the both of you!"

The statement itself is enough to shock Apollo; his eyes bulge open as she continues sputtering.

"Um… here." She says, plucking a sunflower from her hat, "Please take it. My grandmother says that sunflowers are supposed to bring in the light of the sun in places where there's none. Apparently you can-"

Her voice is far too quiet to be audible, but immediately, Phoenix knows if there is anyone who can help Apollo at his lowest, it will probably always be Juniper. Speaking of the attorney in red, an unreadable emotion crosses him. He beams softly and then proceeds to hug Juniper, crushing the sunflower in between them. It is the first time Apollo has smiled in weeks. Juniper squeaks and flushes a bright red.

"Thanks Juniper."

* * *

They really were an odd pair- Phoenix's fellow lawyer, Athena Cykes and that rival prosecutor, Simon Blackquill.

When Phoenix thinks of Athena, the idea of vivacity, happy-go-lucky, technology, Widget, and yellow comes to mind.

But when he thinks of Prosecutor Blackquill, he thinks of everything Athena is not. Because if Athena lies on one end of the spectrum, then Blackquill represents the other end.

Opposites attract, Phoenix supposes, is the reason they're falling in love. Either that, or age is just a number. Both sounds so clichéd, but they're the only sayings Phoenix can say legitimately applies best.

According to Athena, Blackquill (or Simon in her case) is her childhood friend, despite the age difference of ten years; he played with her often at the Space Center- that's how she knew him.

Juniper further adds, later, when neither of them is around, "I always found him scary even before he was arrested. But I don't think he'd ever hurt 'Thena."

Technically, the man has come close several times in doing so. All Wright Anything Agency Lawyers can cringe when thinking back to the laijutsu he often pulls off whenever they fumble in court. Most of the time, it doesn't hit (not that it's supposed to), but Phoenix still remembers when Blackquill cut off a piece of his hair…

But then again, seven years in prison under a false conviction to protect Athena, should be more than enough proof of Blackquill's loyalty.

They're getting ready for a Japanese festival, upon Athena and Trucy's insistence that they attend the one held in Nine-Tails Vale at the end of every summer.

As expected, Trucy invites Klavier, while Apollo is too dense to extend the invitation to Juniper. Luckily, Athena does that for him on the grounds that Juniper is her childhood friend and Apollo would've if he wasn't so slow.

"Are you almost done?" Phoenix asks after knocking on the door. It's already been an hour since the girls have barricaded themselves in Trucy's bedroom to 'get ready'.

There are three responses, all remarkably different in response, but remarkably similar in message.

"We're coming!"

"Just hold on, Boss!"

"One more minute Daddy!"

He laughs, sweat-dropping. "Okay then. The festival's starting soon though."

He walks away into his living room, where he finds Apollo, Klavier, and (shockingly) Prosecutor Blackquill sitting on his couch. Blackquill, his arms limp between his legs as if he still had shackles on, stays to one end of the couch, while Apollo and Klavier occupy the other end.

"Are they almost done?" An annoyed Apollo demands, growling.

He's not actually sure if 'one more minute' means 'almost done', so Phoenix goes with the nonchalant answer of "They're getting there…"

Apollo gives his mentor an incredulous look as Klavier lets a booming laugh.

"Ah, let them take their time, Herr Forehead."

"But they've kept us waiting long enough!" Apollo hotly protests, "What's the big deal anyways? It's just a festival-"

"We're done!" Phoenix hears Athena say from Trucy's room as the door creaks open.

Phoenix's next thought is while yes, Trucy, Athena, and Juniper do look amazing in Japanese kimonos or yukatas- he doesn't quite remember which one is which- he should probably wait outside in his own kimono or yukata due to the romantic air that seeped into the room without warning. All three boys (men) who invaded his couch seem stunned, if not immersed by the females' presence.

Klavier is the first to snap out of the trance, as he strides over to Trucy, lavishing her with compliments on her appearance. He finishes with taking her hand like a gentleman would and pecking her on the cheek.

Apollo will probably never be as suave as Klavier; he stutters and turn a red bright enough to match his jacket when praising Juniper. Juniper, just as embarrassed, says something among the lines of 'Thank you… y-you look nice too…"

As for Blackquill, he doesn't move from the couch, so it prompts Athena to march over herself. She blushes little, looking down at him.

"Well Simon?" Athena asks uncharacteristically like a schoolgirl, "What do you think?"

Instead of answering, he stands up so he towers over Athena by more than a few inches. She seems unfazed, her gaze steady on Simon.

He places his hands, his giant, callused hands, on her shoulders. "Beautiful." He mutters and she fidgets slightly. He runs a finger across a stray piece of orange hair, dangling at the side of her face. "I'm sure Dr. Cykes would be proud to see you now."

"I wish she was here now." Athena admits sadly.

The man with an attitude of samurai fierce to scare the Judge, with enough strength to break his shackles, smiles ever so gently. A look so warm that it unnerves Phoenix to see him this way. Perhaps because Phoenix is too used to seeing Blackquill uptight and cold on the prosecutor's bench.

At the same time, it makes Phoenix wonder if that was how the Blackquill from seven years ago was. If it is so, he can understand why Athena had fallen for him in these past seven years.

In her eyes, Simon Blackquill is unchanged. Despite the horrors of prison and eternal darkness, he is still the same gentle man that played with her and protected her from seven years ago.

He kisses her forehead, before wrapping both arms around her and pulling her close. "Me too."

Phoenix has never seen Athena look happier.

Later, at the festival, Blackquill almost cuts a man's head off for groping Athena when the prosecutor wasn't looking. Luckily, he misses and Athena, being quite capable of defending herself, punches the man and sends him sprawling to the ground.

After that, Athena walks a little closer to Blackquill while he holds her hand, giving anyone who dares to look at Athena the wrong way, a death glare.

Phoenix laughs when Apollo, exasperated, recounts this.

* * *

The years roll by and nothing much has changed.

At least for Phoenix.

He goes on a couple of dates here and there. Women come in and out of his life, until he finally just gives up because he's just not interested in finding his soul mate. Unlike Larry who's… still searching.

It's been a long day for him, when he finally arrives back in his office from the courthouse.

He flicks on the lights. It's empty.

By this time, Trucy has recently married Klavier, while both Athena and Apollo are both comfortably adjusted to their married lives with their respective spouses.

Pouring out a cup of grape juice, Phoenix settles himself in his office chair, where he throws his feet on his desk and opens the paper. It's a tradition of his- coming back from work to drink grape juice and read the paper or at least the funnies.

Before he can turn to the first page, his cell phone rings unexpectedly, its vibration forcing him out of the chair. Fishing his phone out, he hits the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Hey Boss!" Athena chirps happily, "Guess what?"

He blinks, taking a sip of his grape juice. "What?"

"You're gonna be a grandfather!" The grape juice swirling about in Phoenix's mouth spurts out as he curses beneath his breath about the juice spewing all over his suit.

He places his grape juice on the desk, as he props up on one elbow. "…What?" He repeats, slack-jawed.

"Junie and Apollo are having a baby- so that means you'll be a grandpa!"

"Hey…" Phoenix protests sheepishly, "I'm not that old. Why are you telling me this anyways? Shouldn't Apollo be saying this?"

"Oh right, about that…" Athena trails off though bouncing right back, "Well, Apollo seemed busy, so I decided to do that for him. Anyways, congratulations on becoming a grandpa, especially at such a young age!"

"How does this exactly make me a grandpa?" He deadpans.

"Well, you're practically our dad. The Wright Anything Agency is a family."

He freezes, placing the thought on replay- a family, he thinks. A family. Is home what this place has become since that faithful day more than a decade ago?

He thinks back to more than seven years ago.

His career, once promising and successful, crumbles before him. His life as he knows it is over. Defending the innocent is his life- what good is he if he isn't even allowed to do that?

And then he sees Trucy. Suddenly, his life has meaning again- her father, his client has disappeared. She has no other living relative known of. Who will take care of her?

Someone who genuinely cares about her. Someone who will treat her as his own child. Phoenix will.

Apollo is a fledging lawyer under Kristoph's wing. The attorney in red has lost his job. Without a job, the hidden capability Phoenix notices will remain dormant for all time. Who will take Apollo under his wing and awaken that potential?

Someone who is an expert in the art of defending the innocent. Someone who can look past Apollo's former mentor's shadow. Phoenix will.

Athena is a fresh lawyer with a wish. She has no experience in the courtroom yet, but she craves it, if not so she may save Simon Blackquill from a false conviction. Who will support her and help her grant that desire?

Someone who realizes experience is not everything in court. Someone who sees the fire behind her eyes. Phoenix will.

An orphan, a student, an assistant. Each, he took under his wing for different reasons and nonetheless, watched them flourish with a pride.

He grins- Athena is right.

"You're right."

"Yep!" Athena agrees, oblivious to his internalized monologue, "We can talk about this later, Boss. I'll call again soon!"

Once she hangs up, he puts his phone on the desk and opens the paper up again.

"Grandpa Phoenix… huh," He says, absentmindedly, "That doesn't actually have a bad ring to it."

* * *

He never thinks about settling down anymore. He doesn't need to.

Because Phoenix Wright already did, always did, have a family.

_ Fin._


End file.
